Cool air, brisk winds, and a colossal rock camouflaged in silver, Mt. Hakobe afternoons had never been so punishing, and yet Ahote's wardrobe seemed even crueler. Socks, shirts, and even pants would be tossed to the ground as quickly as they were plucked from their drawers, Ahote fumbling through the darkness of his wardrobe in what looked to be a panic. A perturbed frown stretched across his lips, topaz eyes glistening with apprehension,
"You've got to be kidding me. . ." his hand would press against his forehead and run up across his unkempt raven hair. It had grown exceptionally long in recent hours, so long that it nearly covered half of his face. Even though it didn't, a shock of raven black threads would still conceal his right eye.
Ahote sighed, wearily tossing himself onto his bed, skin bare and body naked. He leaned over the side of the bed,
"None of my clothes fit. . ." he groaned to himself in a hushed voice, tightly clasping his hands together. He raised his head, topaz hues gazing deeply into the mirror just in ahead of him. What gazed back had been nothing more than his magical abnormality at work. What was once a normal teenage boy now in the body of a young adult with a look of dread etched on his pale countenance. His metal arm coiled itself around his fleshed shoulder, too tight for comfort, too small for his size. Ahote dipped his head down again, another sigh escaping his lips,
"I need to buy some just to get by. . ." It was then that a wave of mild determination encompassed him, plucking the thickest of his coats from their racks, the loosest of pants from their hangers, and new leather boots he had purchased in anticipation of this event. He tucked a small bag of jewels into his woolen pockets and hastily paced out into the winter. He and his mother had known too well about this abnormality, and it had only been just recently that Ahote found time to research it in depth. But it was no matter now. A decent set of clothes was the priority, it would seem.
The settlements had been of no help in this problem, as everything was far too expensive for him to purchase. Of course, stealing had come to mind. Or perhaps some violence. But the settlements had been too important and too close to home to stir ire with, and the young man had a mind far too clustered to even consider the idea. So, Ahote indignantly made way further from his home to Shirotsume.
Out of all of the towns, Shirotsume had been the one he had been most familiar with and never did he feel such excitement and zeal from the thought of freshly woven linen against his smooth complexion. The thought alone made his body hot with anticipation!
Through an incredibly awkward train ride and a small jog across railroad tracks, topaz hues had finally had the small town of Shirotsume in sight! Ahote's cheeks flushed rose to both the coolness of the chilly air and the relief of fabric just ahead. The bustling chatter of townspeople, the clean and strong buildings neatly aligned into avenues, Ahote always admired the architecture of everyday towns. However, stepping foot into the normally noisy town of Shirotsume, no bustling chatter rattled his ears, nor did the smoky smell of cooking fires fill his lungs. It had been disturbingly silent.
"Strange." Ahote chirped to himself, lumbering into the dirt roads of the town with a look of curiosity more than discomfort. Step by step, breath by breath, Ahote ventured deeper into the settlement with eyes wide with astonishment. Small buildings in shatters, as if a stampede of bulls had trampled through the town. No one had seemed to stay to admire the destruction that had taken place. Ahote smiled,
"Impressive. . ." he whispered, stroking his jaw as if pondering about something.
The destruction continued up until a point, where footsteps and small drops of blood stained the ground. Silently, his interest had been further piqued as he would follow the trails of small footsteps in hopes that it might lead him to either a corpse bearing free fabrics or perhaps a better surprise. He hummed tunes that had been sung to him before, though their names remain a forgotten memory, as he sauntered down the clumsy path, leading him to a staggering figure. They wore beautiful clothing, thoughts of his much-loved companion flickering in his lingering thoughts. The staggering figure was small, a several inches shorter, it seemed. A girl, maybe?
Awkwardly, Ahote approached the troubled stranger with a simper stretching across his lips, reaching out his metal limb to gently grab their shoulder
"Are you struggling, miss. . .- !" he paused midsentence. This smell, these fabrics, the hair, the skin! Abruptly, Ahote stepped to their front.
Topaz hues wide with disbelief, it had been Yuiisai! A battered, bloody Yuiisai at that, but Yuiisai nonetheless! Ahote caressed their cheek,
"Yuiisai! What are you doing here? And those injuries. . ." his eyes flickered to the crimson smeared across their lips, metal and flushed thumbs rubbing gently across his smooth cheeks,
"You must be treated immediately. Where does it hurt? Can you walk?" he queried impatiently. His eyes were wet and glistening with concern, a frown morphing his lips. Never did he think he'd be reunited in such a horrific way.